Mary Sharp
(913) 244-2771
Contents
A Tribute to a Fallen Friend
The opportunity to connect with these great horses humbles me. We are all blessed everyday that we can be around them and work with them. Their gifts to us (patience, education, willingness, friendship) will stay with us for a lifetime and all hold a special place in our hearts. Don't take any day with a horse for granted.
Rieta
It
is with great sadness that I report the death of Rustlers Rieta.
She was humanely put to sleep on Saturday October 15th, 2005.
The sun was rising over the lake and she was surrounded by family.
On
Friday, I knew something was wrong with Rieta when she refused to eat a carrot
for the first time in 26 years. Rieta
had difficulty recovering from the Strangles virus that she contracted over the
summer and also had Cushings Syndrome which compromised her immunity.
She was buried on our family farm in Mayfield
It
is impossible to put into words a partnership and total understanding of each
other. 23 years together…she was a
horse that demanded respect and carrots. I
cannot express what she meant to me. However,
I can share what she did for others. Rieta
is responsible for the beginning education of over 200 adults and
children-including many physically and mentally challenged riders. These people
have her to thank when they think about “the first horse I ever rode…” and
I am sure it was a ride to remember.
I
will never forget.
Thank
you Big Mare- My Best Friend.
April
15, 1979-Oct. 15, 2005
LN
LN
came into our lives several years ago. I
saw an ad in the paper advertising a grey mare that was good with kids.
So on our “date night” Brady and I went to look at her. I was
terribly disappointed when we got to the man’s farm.
His description of her on the phone had made her sound like the perfect
lesson HORSE…not the tiny, underweight pony that was grazing in the lot with
the hogs. When I saw her I told
Brady that I wasn’t interested in her for the program and we should get in the
truck and go home. Brady said we
should stay since we were already there. A
very nice man introduced us to “Dusty”.
He said that his children had gotten her several years before, but only
rode a couple of years before losing interest.
She had not been handled for a long time.
He put the large bridle in her mouth backwards and she did not complain.
She had been fed hog feed for a few years and did not complain.
I thought that if she could handle that then she could handle lessons.
So we bought her. I decided
right there that there would never be anything in her life that she would ever
have to worry about. Brady delivered
her to the barn the next week with the new name “LNBP” (Little No Butt Pony)
which we shortened to “LN”. After
several months of vet care, food and grooming she blossomed.
She enjoyed her lesson time and never put a hoof wrong.
My respect for her grew like no other horse I had worked with-always
putting her rider first. She is the
most kind, patient horse I have worked with in my career.
She
is buried at the farm in southeast
Our
grand yellow horse “Yellow Jacket” left us in the Fall of 2008.
He died from an apparent brain aneurysm and his death was quick.
Jacket was a part of the team for four years and in that time he became a
popular lesson horse, especially during camp.
Jacket started with us as an underweight, arthritic horse and blossomed
into a healthy, great-moving, glossy guy. He
was known for his smooth gaits, huntseat and western talent and occasional bad
attitude on the ground. Fewer
people knew of his irreplaceable ability to carry his riders with disabilities
around the arena kindly and safely. I
have not been able to find a horse with Jackets golden heart.
As Ian, Jackets favorite rider says, “Where is Jack?
He is at home with his mommy and daddy.”
That’s right…Jacket is home. God
must have needed a good horse.
Tony
March
2009, this wonderful gelding died of an unknown illness. He was with his
best friend Prince when he passed and was living a carefree retirement.
Tony was a rescue horse and came to me underweight and in very poor condition.
After several months of rehabilitation he became a glossy, slick, horse with new
energy (that surprised his riders!) and a new outlook on life! He was a
wonderful lesson horse but his favorite thing to do was having kids come out to
his pen and climb the fence. Tony would place his head by the child for
them to pet him. He would doze there for as long as the child was there.
Tony was a huge horse with a basset hound personality and truly enjoyed whatever
he was asked to do, including giving riders their first taste if the running
walk that Tennessee Walkers are known for. Tony will be greatly missed by
myself and the rest of the team, but especially by Prince. Good gaited
horses must be in short supply in Heaven. Thank you Tony........
Whoever bred him....generous
Whoever trained him....very kind
Whoever sold him to Mary....thank you
Whoever learned how to ride on him....lucky
Whoever met him....touched by a special horse